Enhanced Tetracycline Adsorption of MoS 2 via Defect Introduction Under Microwave Irradiation.

Defect engineering is a promising method for improving the performance of MoS 2 in various fields. In this study, sulfur-defect-enriched MoS 2 (SD-MoS 2 ) nanosheets were fabricated via a facile microwave-hydrothermal strategy in 10 min for tetracycline (TC) adsorption applications. The introduction of sulfur defects in MoS 2 induced more exposed unsaturated sulfur atoms at the edge, enhancing the interaction between the adsorbent and antibiotic and improving the adsorption activity of the antibiotic. Density functional theory calculations further revealed that sulfur defects in MoS 2 could alter the electronic structure and exhibited low TC adsorption energy of -2.09 eV. This work provides a new method for fabricating MoS 2 nanosheets and other transition metal dichalcogenide-based adsorbents with enhanced antibiotic removal performance and a comprehensive understanding of antibiotic removal mechanisms in SD-MoS 2 .